May 16th, 2025

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about Sydney the crow and how much fun I was having feeding him?  I also talked about how much the kittyboys were enjoying the CAT TV Escapades of  Sydney .  Well of course, it ended up being much more than just one crow. Of course.  Coz if you feed them, they will come.

The Grackles came right after the crow. Grackels are glossy black birds who, in the sun, show iridescent feathers that sometimes look deep purple. OOO pretty.  Then came the bunnies and a couple of squirrels.  That was pretty much it.   It wasn't much, but we were happy with it.  

Joy was totally on board.  She even offered up any old, stale, worn out bird-friendly items from her own pantry which was awesome.  Then she so generously offered something more. A bird feeder (SEE PHOTO ABOVE)  Note:  the leaves and branches on the ground in the background are from a big yard project Tim and I have been working on for a few weeks, trimming up all the greenery and oh my gosh there is SO MUCH OF IT!  But we only have 3 bins to put it in to be taken away each week so I keep refilling the bins every week and this is what's left right now.  Just in case you wondered.

Not just any kind of bird feeder you understand. This one is very fancy.  It has a camera in it!  Wow!  Joy received it as a very lovely and thoughtful gift. But alas, it really didn't lend itself to Condo Life.   Joy and Bob live, most of the time, in their high-rise condo overlooking Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It's a helluva view, let me tell ya!  But there is no place to put a bird feeder there so she re-gifted it over to us. Wow!

Tim set it up in the back yard near where I was already feeding the birds on the ground.  (There is also a dish of water for the birds that gets changed twice a day just FYI).  It took a little modifying to make the feeder stay put and stay stable enough for actual bird perchings.  Once Tim felt confident about the setup, off we went to find birdseed which was harder to find than we expected.  Finally found a small "starter" bag at Walmart and then much larger bags at the Tractor Supply Store.

I couldn't wait to get started.  As soon as we got home, I filled that feeder to the brim then I went inside and waited. And waited. And waited.  Brysco and Wyatt sat in the family room windows waiting with me.    I don't know why I thought that the instant that feeder hit the ground they birds would be flocking to it.  Flocking! LOL  Pun unintentional but apt.

So eventually I gave up waiting and set about getting other things done.  After awhile, I noticed my phone dinging at me.  Initially it was just one random ding, then more and more and holycats what's going on with my phone? 

It seems that there is an app (of course there is)  involved  which Tim loaded on our cells so that the pictures the feeder camera takes are sent to our phones.  How Cool is That?    I immediately began scrolling though the photos.  They were all of the Grackles and they were hilarious photos. Very Up Close and Personal.

Here's one just by way of example:

Too funny!  And for the first few days, that's all I saw. Various and sundry photos from the feedercam of the same bird.  But a few days later, we were in the car and just to kill a little time I checked the most recent photos from the feeder cam and oh my gosh, there was a wood pecker!  I didn't know woodpeckers at birdseed!!  Live and learn I suppose.

 From that point forward, we began to more of a variety of visitors and while the feeder/cam photos aren't perfect, they are still very fun:

But I knew there were probably other birds that weren't being captured by the feeder camera so I started spending a little more time with the kitties hanging out by the window, my real camera in hand and yup, I was correct. There were other birds, some I managed to get photos of and some I didn't. Oh plus a bunny and a squirrel just becoz:

There have been others too who have managed to avoid having their photos taken by either me or the feeder/cam brilliantly. So you'll have to take my word for it that we've also had blue jays, male cardinals and a host of others I haven't quite identified yet.  (they are so quickquick you see)  As time goes on I can only assume that the numbers and variety will continue to grow.  An exciting prospect to anticipate :)

Rather than go broke buying bird seed because the little oinkers will just continue to devour it every time I put it out, I am limiting myself to only filling the feeder twice a week.  I filled it this morning and already it's been a crazybusy birdie destination with as many as can possibly fit on the perch and the others waiting their turns on the ground and nearby shrubs and trees.  Lovely manners actually.

We are finding that there is something very lovely about watching those birds. It's fun in a quiet sort of way, it's really kind of serene and soothing, and I'm learning, without intending to, quite a lot about birds! Always a nice bonus.  The fact that the kittyboys are also greatly entertained is one of the best parts.

I still ground feed for the larger birds...there is no way that Sydney will ever fit on that tiny little perch. He is a big boy. And it turns out that some of what I put out for Sydney, the squirrels and bunnies also enjoy.  Who knew?  I do experiment a bit with that.  I'll stand in the pantry with a bag of stale potato chips and think..hmmm.. I wonder if birds would eat this?  The answer was yes.  They also like stale bread, crackers, cereal, tortillas (cut up) and cookies.  They were not fans of watermelon rind or orange peel however.  I am teachable.

Also found a source for ground bird food that isn't going to break the bank:  Dollar Stores!  There are three different ones in Venice. One is even on island which is terrific for me.  In their food and snack aisle last week, Tim and I found a box of off brand saltines for $1.25 and a large bag of pre-popped "Movie Popcorn" also for a buck twenty-five.  Not bad.  For an entire week the ground bird food has been dollar store off brand snacks that only cost me $2.50 in total.  I see another trip there in my near future.

So far I see this as a win all the way around.  The birds are being fed and watered, the kittyboys are entertained, Tim and I are enjoying their company and we are learning so very much!  It's awesome!

Have a Terrific Weekend Ya'll